Been There, Done That

The Redskins had a relentless rushing attack down the stretch in 2005, running the ball at least 40 times in three of the final games. Then, as now, stalwart guard Randy Thomas was on injured reserve, but still Washington ran the ball 193 times in five games and threw just 114 passes. Portis was in peak form -- posting 105 yards or more in five straight games -- while then-starting quarterback Mark Brunell was ailing and slowing down. Brunell was largely ineffective in both playoff games that season.

The Redskins already have thrown for 759 yards in this three-game winning streak; Washington amassed 694 passing yards during the five-game streak in 2005. During the last three games, the Redskins have as many passes as runs -- 91 each -- and Portis has found other ways to contribute to the offense with receptions and, against Minnesota last Sunday, throwing a touchdown pass.

"It's all about keeping teams guessing now," Portis said. "It ain't just one dimension always trying to put teams away, and it's working. I feel good for where I'm at. I'm not getting 30 carries [per game], but I've still got enough carries this season. So whatever they ask, whatever they call upon, that's what I'll do."

"I think it's more of a team effort now," Washington said. "The offense is definitely big-time contributing right now. They hold the ball when we need them to and they're going down and scoring. They can throw the ball and run the football, a little bit of both, and we're just kind of riding this thing out as a defense. They're playing so good it's fun to just sit over there watching them."

Both clubs benefited from good fortune. In 2005, the Redskins faced marginal quarterbacks such as Ryan Fitzpatrick and Mike McMahon -- neither of whom started a game again -- and an aging Drew Bledsoe. They have already defeated novice passers Tarvaris Jackson and Kyle Orton this season, with 39-year-old Cowboys backup Brad Johnson likely to play at least some of today's game.

But there was a certain air of overachievement in 2005, when the Redskins scored 31 points or more in three straight games to close the season. Reserve tailback Rock Cartwright ran nine times for 118 yards in a win at St. Louis, and the following week Brown had the unquestioned highlight of his brief career, cementing a win with a kick return for a touchdown. The week after that, tight end Chris Cooley had three touchdown catches against Dallas, then Moss had three against the Giants.

"It's similar as far as the pressure of having to win games at the end of the year," Cooley said. "But it feels different because the feeling on this team is we feel like we should be winning games and we feel like we should have been beating teams all along. I think we're a confident team right now. A couple of years ago, I think things just started to happen for us, whereas this year we felt like we finally just made it happen."

This season, save for Collins, the accolades have been more cumulative than individual. Many players are performing better now than they have all season, and, unlike in 2005, younger players have played well when veterans got injured. The Redskins have received strong contributions from Stephon Heyer, Lorenzo Alexander, Reed Doughty, LaRon Landry, Anthony Montgomery, Kedric Golston and H.B. Blades, none of whom was in the NFL two years ago.

"I would agree that we've got some good depth, I would say that," Williams said. "And I would say how we've managed that depth in giving them reps through the course of the year; we've done a better job in practice settings -- in those competition settings, too -- in preparing those guys to step in when somebody in front of them gets bounced or nicked."

The Redskins anticipate requiring that full complement of players today, ending this season against a bitter rival with ostensibly nothing to play for, just as they did in 2005.

This week, talk has been dominated about which Cowboys are unlikely to play, with wide receiver Terrell Owens out with an ankle injury, and quarterback Tony Romo, tight end Jason Witten and running back Marion Barber likely to rest at least part of the game for a team that has already secured the NFC's top seed.

In 2005, the Redskins closed the season at Philadelphia, where the Eagles were already eliminated from the playoffs and were without Owens, Pro Bowl quarterback Donovan McNabb and star running back Brian Westbrook. Yet the Eagles led 20-17 in the fourth quarter, before an interception -- one of six Washington takeaways in the game -- set up Portis's go-ahead score.

"They fought hard," Marcus Washington said of the Eagles. "They fought really hard. No one here forgot about that game. In certain situations this week we've definitely talked about that game."

The big difference between 2005 and 2007, of course, has been the shooting death of Taylor late last month in what police said was a botched burglary of his Miami home.

"I think losing Sean has brought this team together," Daniels said. "We got some closure at the funeral and when we listened to his dad when he came in here [to Redskins Park], and different people saying, 'Win this for Sean, get in the playoffs for Sean, that's what he would want.' And I think it's brought focus and togetherness to this team, and it shows before we go out for games in the locker room. It shows at halftime, and everything that we do right now, it's all focused to get it done for him.

"Sean brought this team together in a lot of ways, and hopefully we can win this last game for him and finish the story. And if we lose this last game, it would be devastating not to do it for him. We have to play our best and get it done."